气味受体基因与嗅觉差异性

Relationship between olfactory receptor gene and variability of odor perception

嗅觉是人的基本感知能力之一,其发生机制至今尚未完全明确。不同个体对特定气味的敏感性及他们对这些气味的主观体验有很大差异,造成这种差异的因素有很多,其中气味受体基因(olfactory receptor gene,OR)变异对气味感觉的影响已受到越来越多的关注。本文就气味受体基因与嗅觉差异性的关系进行综述。

Olfaction, the sense of smell, is one of the basic senses of human being. Up to now, the formation mechanism of it has not been fully understood. The sensitivity and perception to special odors differ enormously between individuals. The factors that induce this difference are variable. Among those factors, the olfactory receptor （OR） genetic variation performs an important role in odor perception, which is a focus for study at present. This article is a review about the relationship between OR gene and variability of odor perception.